Bloomberg News

NHL Cancels All-Star Game, Season Through Dec. 14, Amid Lockout

National Hockey League players have been locked out since Sept. 16, the day after the old labor contract expired. Photographer: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The National Hockey League canceled
its All-Star Game, as well as 96 more regular-season contests
through Dec. 14, with the player lockout ending its 10th week.

The league previously canceled regular-season contests
through Nov. 30 and the outdoor Winter Classic, scheduled for
New Year’s Day at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. The lockout now
has caused the cancellation of 422 regular-season games, about
34 percent of the schedule.

The All-Star Game was to be played Jan. 27 in Columbus,
Ohio, home of the Blue Jackets, for the first time.

“The reality of losing more regular-season games as well
as the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend in Columbus is extremely
disappointing,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a
statement. “We feel badly for NHL fans and particularly those
in Columbus, and we intend to work closely with the Blue
Jackets’ organization to return the NHL All-Star events to
Columbus and their fans as quickly as possible.”

The NHL and the union are attempting to negotiate a new
collective bargaining agreement. The two sides met in New York
on two days this week, during which the union offered a new
proposal detailing its position on economic issues.

NHL players have been locked out since Sept. 16, the day
after the old contract expired. The two sides have been unable
to agree on changes to player contract rights and how to share
hockey-related revenue.

The league said its most recent offer contained an even
revenue split between owners and players. None of the union’s
counteroffers has been accepted by owners. The players received
57 percent of hockey-related revenue under the previous deal.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Mike Buteau in Atlanta at
mbuteau@bloomberg.net;
Eben Novy-Williams in New York at
enovywilliam@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net